Is this the best running method to lose weight fast:

I'm not sure what the proper term is and I'm happy to be corrected, but is interval training the best (running/jogging) method to lose weight fast ?
I mean the thing where you sprint like hell for 2 minutes then slow down to a jog for 1 minute then sprint again then jog etc etc...?

If that isn't the best way can you suggest another method for a motivated person wanting to see results in a month...?

Interval aerobic training? It's not bad, but I prefer weight lifting for bodyfat loss. You won't see results quickly on the scale, but you'll see them in the mirror. If you want to see scale results, just starve yourself and don't drink water. Obviously that means that looking at the scale is pointless.

The only method I can suggest for a motivated person who wants to see results in a month is to enjoy a heaping portion of patience. I do however believe that it is widely accepted among those in the know that interval training is one of the best methods for burning FAT, not losing weight. They are two different things. You should incorporate some weight lifting as well and eat a healthy balanced diet to achieve the best results. If you are interested in hurting your body and just want the number on the scale to be lower then hit the sauna and stop drinking water for a few days.

I'm not sure what the proper term is and I'm happy to be corrected, but is interval training the best (running/jogging) method to lose weight fast ?
I mean the thing where you sprint like hell for 2 minutes then slow down to a jog for 1 minute then sprint again then jog etc etc...?

If that isn't the best way can you suggest another method for a motivated person wanting to see results in a month...?

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If you really "sprint like hell," I don't think you can keep it up for 2 minutes straight.

Whether long slow endurance workouts or interval training is the best for losing weight is a big question, but the main way to lose weight is to up your calorie burning activity and eat less/ and eat well, fruits, veges, carbs, good fats (not saturated), lean meats.

There is no easy way to lose weight and there is no fast way to keep weight off, except burn more, eat less.

Elite milers, who do the mile in under 4, are doing a sub 4 minute sprint. It's obviously not an all out sprint, but a paced sprint can be done for over 2 minutes. Just to prove that strong milers are sprinting and not jogging, you can see that they land on the balls of the feet and not the heel while a long distance runner lands on the heel.

Losing weight fast is never a good idea. Losing 2-3 lbs per week is very good for a young male. In a month, you might lose 10 lbs, which would be an excellent start to a proper lifestyle change.

You want to permanently alter your behavior. What happens in one month is not as important as what your body will be like in 1 year or 30 years.

Anyway, lifting is the best approach because you will burn calories for about 24 or more hours after lifting. Running is great, but the metabolic 'burn' lasts only for a few hours after the run.

Don't start running fast without any slow base miles. Typically, I suggest 4-12 weeks of base mileage before most athletes attempt speed or interval work. Why? Because you can get injured without the proper neuromuscular and vascular preparation.

There's a lot more to this than meets the eye young man. Getting fit is not a 30 day proposition.

I do however believe that it is widely accepted among those in the know that interval training is one of the best methods for burning FAT, not losing weight. They are two different things. You should incorporate some weight lifting as well and eat a healthy balanced diet to achieve the best results. If you are interested in hurting your body and just want the number on the scale to be lower then hit the sauna and stop drinking water for a few days.

Losing weight fast is never a good idea. Losing 2-3 lbs per week is very good for a young male. In a month, you might lose 10 lbs, which would be an excellent start to a proper lifestyle change.

You want to permanently alter your behavior. What happens in one month is not as important as what your body will be like in 1 year or 30 years.

Anyway, lifting is the best approach because you will burn calories for about 24 or more hours after lifting. Running is great, but the metabolic 'burn' lasts only for a few hours after the run.

Don't start running fast without any slow base miles. Typically, I suggest 4-12 weeks of base mileage before most athletes attemp speed or interval work. Why? Because you can get injured without the proper neuromuscular and vascular preparation.

There's a lot more to this than meets the eye young man. Getting fit is not a 30 day proposition.

-Robert

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Hmmm I'm reading your comments and picturing 70s jogging guru James Fixx, dropping dead from a heart attack during his run...(or was that an urban myth?). My priority at the moment is for the aesthetic reason only of reducing my belly fat. For the record, I'm 5ft 8 and 85kgs. Would like to drop 5kgs by Xmas.

Hmmm I'm reading your comments and picturing 70s jogging guru James Fixx, dropping dead from a heart attack during his run...(or was that an urban myth?). My priority at the moment is for the aesthetic reason only of reducing my belly fat. For the record, I'm 5ft 8 and 85kgs. Would like to drop 5kgs by Xmas.

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Jim Fixx had a family history of early cardiac death, plus he ate the worst imaginable foods. His thinking, which wasn't too far off the trend of his times, was that running was all he needed to keep healthy.

I'd say you might be pretty fat, based on your height and weight, but it's hard to know for sure without knowing your build.

I understand the desire to lose weight for cosmetic reasons but what do you think your body looks like on the INSIDE? You think it's bad on the outside! How your body functions is much more important than how it looks, though how it looks suggests how well it is functioning.

You could lose 20 lbs between now and the December holidays IF you eat right and train right. Focus on those two, and the cosmetic aspect will move in the right direction. BUT, if you have been very fat (something that no one should ever do), then the chances are good that you have spread your hip bones, spread your skin, and affected most of your musculature negatively. Who knows what your lifestyle may have done to your internal organs? The chances you can go back to looking like you were when you were a fit teen (assuming you were), are very slim. So, some acceptance of your body is going to be necessary. This doesn't mean you can't substantially improve what you have, it just means you must have realistic cosmetic goals. Again, how your body works is much more important that what it looks like.

I'd say you might be pretty fat, based on your height and weight, but it's hard to know for sure without knowing your build.

I understand the desire to lose weight for cosmetic reasons but what do you think your body looks like on the INSIDE? You think it's bad on the outside! How your body functions is much more important than how it looks, though how it looks suggests how well it is functioning.

You could lose 20 lbs between now and the December holidays IF you eat right and train right. Focus on those two, and the cosmetic aspect will move in the right direction. BUT, if you have been very fat (something that no one should ever do), then the chances are good that you have spread your hip bones, spread your skin, and affected most of your musculature negatively. Who knows what your lifestyle may have done to your internal organs? The chances you can go back to looking like you were when you were a fit teen (assuming you were), are very slim. So, some acceptance of your body is going to be necessary. This doesn't mean you can't substantially improve what you have, it just means you must have realistic cosmetic goals. Again, how your body works is much more important that what it looks like.

-Robert

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Whilst a quick glance at a BMI calculator says I'm overweight, it doesnt show on my body...I look of completely normal build in relation to my height. I just wanna rid myself of the belly blubber

I don't have a car any longer either, but I travel between the USA and England a bit so keeping a car is a nuisance. Plus, I'm just accustomed to riding everywhere. When you try, you can do almost everything on a bike you can do with a car, and sometimes faster. There are serious downsides though if you want to go 1,000 miles. That's a bit of a workout.

I don't have a car any longer either, but I travel between the USA and England a bit so keeping a car is a nuisance. Plus, I'm just accustomed to riding everywhere. When you try, you can do almost everything on a bike you can do with a car, and sometimes faster. There are serious downsides though if you want to go 1,000 miles. That's a bit of a workout.

Maxx, if you have access to a gym, losing 5kg by Christmas is easy. Do your interval training in the morning before breakfast (start out with about a 14 minute workout - 5 min. warm-up, 4 reps of 20 sec. sprints/40 sec. easy jog, 5 min. cool-down). Later in the day (I assume you work/go to school in the day) go to the gym - do mostly compound movements (squats, bench presses, barbell rows, military press - forget the arm work - no need for it right now). Be sure to take in about 20 grams of whey protein about 30 minutes before your workout, then another 40 grams immediately after your workout. Break up your meals into 5 or 6 mini-meals throughout the day, and viola! - you're good to go! Good luck to you!

5kg by Christmas can be done by simply removing bad things from your diet. If you drink soda or fruit juice (eat a piece of fruit instead) or drink beer, eat anything made with white flower, drink whole milk, etc...remove them from your diet and that weight will come off with little or no effort from you.

Around 6 years or so ago, I was up near 208 lbs. I had started going to a gym and I definitely put on muscle, but the blubber just wasn't going away. I cut all liquid calories out of my diet..soda, juice, beer and stopped eating pasta, white bread and cereal...I was 192 within 6 months. I've since put some of those things back in my diet, but in moderation, and I'm staying around 188 in the summer and 192 in the winter (due to less tennis) for the last 3 years.